WORLAND — An $867 billion farm bill passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 369-47 on Wednesday (the bill passed the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 87-13) effectively legalized industrial hemp production in the United States, pending President Donald Trump’s signature, although a lack of budget for research in Wyoming may keep the crop from growing in the Cowboy State.

When an accidentally damaged fiber optic cable cut out Internet, landline and cell service — including 911 service — in the Bitterroot Valley last week, it exposed a longstanding and widespread problem in Montana. Because of vast distances and a sparse population density, the state’s telecommunications infrastructure often lacks redundancy and there is often no back-up when an errant excavator hits a crucial line.